Tag: pursue

Romans 14:19 – Self Denial

Posted on by Will

Therefore we should pursue the things of peace and the things by which we build up one another.

Truth to Learn

We must deny ourselves in order to serve God and others.

 

Behind the Words

Just as in verse twelve, Paul starts off this verse with ara oun, which means “so in conclusion.”

Some translations start this verse out with “Let us pursue.” This is translated from diōkō, which means “to pursue” in a good sense and “to persecute” in a bad sense. It means “to constantly go after something.” The presence of “let” in the English makes it sound like a command (imperative mood) but it is expressed in the subjunctive mood. So it is more accurately translated “Therefore we should pursue …”

The word translated “build up” is oikodomē, which refers to “the process of building something.”

 

Meaning Explained

Since his previous conclusion (verses fourteen and fifteen), Paul has told us, “If you insist on having your own way, you may cause your brother to stumble, you will not be walking according to love, what you consider good will be spoken evil of, you will not be pursuing God’s glory, and you will not please God or man.” “In conclusion,” he says, “instead of all that, we should pursue the things that produce peace and that build-up one another.”

What Paul has had to say to us in these past five verses seems a bit harsh, especially when you consider that we all have times when our sin nature takes over and controls our thoughts and actions. But even the best of Christians has these spiritual ups and downs. I was reminded recently about the Apostle Peter’s interactions with Jesus in Matthew chapter sixteen. When Jesus asks the disciples who people say He is, they respond with, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (Matthew 16:14)

But when He asks the disciples who they say He is, Peter is quick to reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In response, Jesus proclaims Peter to be blessed.

A short time later, Jesus begins to explain to his disciples that He must suffer many things, be killed, and be raised from the dead. Upon hearing this, Peter takes the Lord aside and begins to rebuke Him. (I’m sure none of us has ever yelled at God, have we?) J At this point our Lord says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Matthew 16:23)

Imagine having the Son of God say that you are an offense to Him! Then Jesus says to them all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

That’s precisely what Paul has been teaching us in this passage of Scripture. We need to deny self and treat other Christians and our Lord as more important than we are.

 

Application

Once again, we see that a close walk with our God is largely a matter of where our focus it. If we are focused on ourselves and seeking to satisfy our own desires, we will stray from God because we aren’t watching where we’re going. But if our focus is on Him, then we will be following in His footsteps, and serving God and fellow Christians becomes our constant objective. Is it time for another focus check?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:11 – In Pursuit of Peace

Posted on by Will

Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Truth to Learn

Peter commands us to turn completely away from evil, doing good instead. He also admonishes us to pursue peace with a vengeance.

 

Behind the Words

The words “turn away” are from ekklinō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” and klinō meaning “turn aside” or “turn away.” If Peter had used klinō by itself it would indicate turning away from something but ekklinō implies turning completely out of the way of it. It is a picture of one who is walking down a path and they turn completely off the path.

In the Greek text this is followed by the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” The repetition serves to emphasize that we are to completely turn off the path of evil and move completely away from it. To add even more emphasis to the statement, Peter uses the imperative mood of ekklinō, implying a command, not a suggestion. Hence, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “He must turn completely away from evil …”

The words translated as “evil” and “good” are kakos and agathos which are polar opposites, the first meaning general badness or worthlessness and the second meaning general goodness.

“Seek” is translated from the Greek word dzēteō, meaning “to look for” or “to try to find.” This verb is also expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command.

The word translated “pursue” is diōkō, meaning “to pursue” or “to persecute.” It implies much more than simply looking for something. It indicates determination and tenacity. This verb, like the others in this verse, is in the imperative mood.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we were told,

For the one determined to love life and to see good days, let him stop his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile

This verse is a continuation of that thought. If you have determined to love life and to see good days then not only must you be very careful about what you say and how you say it, you must do several other things as well.

Before we get to those things, though, let’s look at the expression, “Let him …” On the surface it appears that Peter is saying, “allow him …” but that is not what he is saying. In fact, in English the use of the word “let,” when used with verbs, is an expression of the imperative, or command, form of the Greek verb. So “Let him …” doesn’t mean “Allow him …”, rather it means “It is imperative for him to …” or “He must …”

If we have determined to love life and to see good days then we must control our language and we must turn completely away from evil. In their place we must do good and, not only seek peace, but pursue it diligently.

 

Application

It’s easy to talk about doing good and it’s easy to talk about peace. The real challenge is to pursue peace and good deeds with the same fervor that we pursue our favorite activities.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – Do Good, Not Evil

Posted on by Will

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for one another and for all.

Truth to Learn

Don’t retaliate when you experience evil. Do good instead.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “renders” is apodidōmi, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” Literally, it means “to give from,” that is, to act in response to action done. Specifically, it refers to retaliation. Some translations have this as “return” or “repay.”

Kakos is the Greek word translated “evil.” This word refers to external actions that are “worthless, bad, or evil.” A different Greek word, ponēros, refers to wickedness or maliciousness as an internal motivation.

“For” is translated from anti, meaning “opposite” or “against.” Here it indicates action directed against someone else.

“Always” is from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then, in terms of time.” Thus, pantote means “all the time” or “always.”

The word “pursue” is from the verb diokō, which means “to pursue (in a good sense” or “to persecute (in a bad sense).”

Agathos is the word translated “good.” It refers to the quality or characteristic of goodness or usefulness.

 

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse, Paul taught us how we are to respond to certain issues within the church. We need to caution those who are unruly or disruptive, reminding them of the need for peace and orderly conduct in the church. We also need to provide comfort and encouragement for those who are overcome with fear and doubt. And, we need to support those who are weak physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He also said that we are to do these things with an attitude of patience.

Now he tells us what not to do, and what to do instead. Each one of us at one time or another has been the recipient of malicious action, whether it was intentional or not. The normal response, driven by our sin nature, is to strike back – to get even. After all, the Old Testament teaches “an eye for an eye,” right? But that’s not what the New Testament teaches. Paul says, “Don’t repay evil for evil.” Instead of retaliating for something evil that was done to us, Paul says we need to go after what is good.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of this. He claimed to be the Son of God (which He truly is), thus claiming to be equal with God. (Matthew 26:63, 64) Because of this, He was condemned to die. He was then ridiculed, beaten, and hung on a cross to die. Even those standing around him said, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) Jesus did not deserve any of this kind of treatment, and He could have simply spoken the words and those mocking Him would have died. Instead, he chose to do what was ultimately the kindest, most loving thing anyone has ever done. He stayed on the cross and gave His life as payment for your sins and mine. He did what was good for all.

 

Application

The next time someone does something evil to you, remember what Jesus did for you. Remember what Paul teaches us: pursue what is good for all. This will glorify God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – Do Good, Not Evil

Posted on by Will

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Truth to Learn

Don’t retaliate when you experience evil. Do good instead.

Behind the Words

The word translated “renders” is apodidōmi, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” Literally, it means “to give from,” that is, to act in response to action done. Specifically, it refers to retaliation. Some translations have this as “return” or “repay.”

Kakos is the Greek word translated “evil.” This word refers to external actions that are “worthless, bad, or evil.” A different Greek word, ponēros, refers to wickedness or maliciousness as an internal motivation.

“For” is translated from anti, meaning “opposite” or “against.” Here it indicates action directed against someone else.

“Always” is from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then, in terms of time.” Thus, pantote means “all the time” or “always.”

The word “pursue” is from the verb diokō, which means “to pursue (in a good sense” or “to persecute (in a bad sense).”

Agathos is the word translated “good.” It refers to the quality or characteristic of goodness or usefulness.

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse, Paul taught us how we are to respond to certain issues within the church. We need to caution those who are unruly or disruptive, reminding them of the need for peace and orderly conduct in the church. We also need to provide comfort and encouragement for those who are overcome with fear and doubt. And, we need to support those who are weak physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He also said that we are to do these things with an attitude of patience.

Now he tells us what not to do, and what to do instead. Each one of us at one time or another has been the recipient of malicious action, whether it was intentional or not. The normal response, driven by our sin nature, is to strike back – to get even. After all, the Old Testament teaches “an eye for an eye,” right? But that’s not what the New Testament teaches. Paul says, “Don’t repay evil for evil.” Instead of retaliating for something evil that was done to us, Paul says we need to go after what is good.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of this. He claimed to be the Son of God (which He truly is), thus claiming to be equal with God. (Matthew 26:63, 64) Because of this, He was condemned to die. He was then ridiculed, beaten, and hung on a cross to die. Even those standing around him said, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) Jesus did not deserve any of this kind of treatment, and He could have simply spoken the words and those mocking Him would have died. Instead, he chose to do what was ultimately the kindest, most loving thing anyone has ever done. He stayed on the cross and gave His life as payment for your sins and mine. He did what was good for all.

Application

The next time someone does something evil to you, remember what Jesus did for you. Remember what Paul teaches us: pursue what is good for all. This will glorify God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 14:19 – Self Denial

Posted on by Will

Romans 14:19 – Self Denial

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

Truth to Learn

We must deny ourselves in order to serve God and others.

Behind the Words

Just as in verse twelve, Paul starts off this verse with ara oun, which means “so in conclusion.”

“Let us pursue” is from diōkō, which means “to pursue” in a good sense and “to persecute” in a bad sense. It means “to constantly go after something.” The presence of “let” in the English makes it sound like a command (imperative mood) but it is expressed in the subjunctive mood. So this should probably be translated “Therefore we should pursue …”

The word translated “edify” is oikodomē, which refers to “the process of building something.”

Meaning Explained

Since his previous conclusion (verses fourteen and fifteen), Paul has told us, “If you insist on having your own way, you may cause your brother to stumble, you will not be walking according to love, what you consider good will be spoken evil of, you will not be pursuing God’s glory, and you will not please God or man.” “In conclusion,” he says, “instead of all that, we should pursue the things that produce peace and that build-up one another.”

What Paul has had to say to us in these past five verses seems a bit harsh, especially when you consider that we all have times when our sin nature takes over and controls our thoughts and actions. But even the best of Christians has these spiritual ups and downs. I was reminded recently about the Apostle Peter’s interactions with Jesus in Matthew chapter sixteen. When Jesus asks the disciples who people say He is, they respond with, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14)

But when He asks the disciples who they say He is, Peter is quick to reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.“ In response, Jesus proclaims Peter to be blessed.

A short time later, Jesus begins to explain to his disciples that He must suffer many things, be killed, and be raised from the dead. Upon hearing this, Peter takes the Lord aside and begins to rebuke Him. (I’m sure none of us has ever yelled at God, have we?) 🙂 At this point our Lord says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23)

Imagine having the Son of God say that you are an offense to Him! Then Jesus says to them all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

That’s precisely what Paul has been teaching us in this passage of Scripture. We need to deny self and treat other Christians and our Lord as more important than we are.

Application

Once again, we see that a close walk with our God is largely a matter of where our focus it. If we are focused on ourselves and seeking to satisfy our own desires, we will stray from God because we aren’t watching where we’re going. But if our focus is on Him, then we will be following in His footsteps, and serving God and fellow Christians becomes our constant objective. Is it time for another focus check?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to:

1 Peter 3:11 – In Pursuit of Peace

Posted on by admin

1 Peter 3:11

Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Truth to Learn

Peter commands us to turn completely away from evil, doing good instead. He also admonishes us to pursue peace with a vengeance.

Behind the Words

The words “turn away” are from ekklinō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” and klinō meaning “turn aside” or “turn away.” If Peter had used klinō by itself it would indicate turning away from something but ekklinō implies turning completely out of the way of it. It is a picture of one who is walking down a path and they turn completely off the path.

In the Greek text this is followed by the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” The repetition serves to emphasize that we are to completely turn off the path of evil and move completely away from it. To add even more emphasis to the statement, Peter uses the imperative mood of ekklinō, implying a command, not a suggestion. Hence, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “He must turn completely away from evil …”

The words translated as “evil” and “good” are kakos and agathos which are polar opposites, the first meaning general badness or worthlessness and the second meaning general goodness.

“Seek” is translated from the Greek word dzēteō, meaning “to look for” or “to try to find.” This verb is also expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command.

The word translated “pursue” is diōkō, meaning “to pursue” or “to persecute.” It implies much more than simply looking for something. It indicates determination and tenacity. This verb, like the others in this verse, is in the imperative mood.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we were told,

For he that wants to love life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile.

This verse is a continuation of that thought. If you have determined to love life and to see good days then not only must you be very careful about what you say and how you say it, you must do several other things as well.

Before we get to those things, though, let’s look at the expression, “Let him …” On the surface it appears that Peter is saying, “allow him …” but that is not what he is saying. In fact, in English the use of the word “let,” when used with verbs, is an expression of the imperative, or command, form of the Greek verb. So “Let him …” doesn’t mean “Allow him …”, rather it means “It is imperative for him to …” or “He must …”

If we have determined to love life and to see good days then we must control our language and we must turn completely away from evil. In their place we must do good and, not only seek peace, but pursue it diligently.

Application

It’s easy to talk about doing good and it’s easy to talk about peace. The real challenge is to pursue peace and good deeds with the same fervor that we pursue our favorite activities.

In God’s service, for His glory,

signature

Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, you can call the church phone (618) 614-3070 and leave a message telling us your name and e-mail address or you can send an e-mail to:e-mail address